The Yorkshire mafia's presence in top level politics just got an 'eck of a boost with the announcement of Ed Miliband's shadow cabinet.

The Labour leader's lineup more than matches the Cameron-Clegg cabinet as the most Yorkshire, with eight out of the 14 senior posts going to those proud to wear the white rose of what some call "God's own county".

Miliband's own South Yorkshire seat neighbours that of Caroline Flint's Don Valley constituency. East Yorkshire is amply represented by Alan Johnson in Hull, and the Eagle twins Maria and Angela were both born in Bridlington.

Husband-and-wife team Ed Balls, with his Morley seat, and Yvette Cooper, in nearby Pontefract, join John Healey, who was born in Wakefield, in championing West Yorkshire. The other shadow cabinet members with Yorkshire constituencies are Hilary Benn (Leeds Central), Mary Creagh (Wakefield) Rosie Winterton (Doncaster) and Jon Trickett (Hemsworth).

In the coalition camp Nick Clegg is MP for Sheffield Hallam. But despite Lady Warsi and Eric Pickles, born in Dewsbury and Keighley respectively, William Hague's impeccable credentials and Vince Cable's York birthplace, they seem to be trailing in the flat-vowelled stakes.